Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-12-11

open TO his influence. He already talks
OF instituting. on his return to France.
league in imitation of ours, 10 be called
the Peony League"
The Duke shortly spoke in reply, and
the general opinion was that no one
could have looked more aristocratic. His
black hair, set off by skin the color Of
magnolia, his dark eyes and aquiline
nose impaired TO his physioRnomy an
air OF delicacy which accorded exactly
with all received or preconceived notions
concerning blue blood. One venture
some lady declared that he looked the
personification of Ia Uieille coor.
Oh, the bowings and scrapings and
cringings of that afternoon Was ever the
like, or is it true, as Kowantree was fond
OF asserting, that nowhere was such
hunkeyism TO be found as in the higher
classes OF Littleswamp society?
81 hope you like the Duke, Mrs. Ros-
sendale, said Captain Fosse, with the
air of man fully conscious Of having
deserved we'll of his country.
like him y was the reply ; " / think
him adorable ! He makes me think OF
Prince Eugene every time look at him.
Only the Prince, | believe, had double
row Of upper teeth, one behind the
other. / never in my life saw any one
whose origin was more wildly impressed
upon his countenance or whose every
movement more Enthusiastically bespoke
his high noblcsSc. / declare he's talk
ing TO Ophelia, and he seems to be
amusing her, too.
"Ah you must beware of the Duke, y
said the Captain laughing; ono man
more susceptible, | assure you"
"Oh Captain Fosse, how can you be
so foolish ?" returned the lady with a
little peal of gratifed laughter.
Then she turned TO little cluster.
who Of course were discussing the lion
of the day. They appealed to her for
her verdict, and she pronounced him 81
Duke every inch of him"
CHATS just what / say" said Lady
Trump. cone feels his superiority so
perceptibly. There is that about him
which nothing but blue blood ever gives.
There is the unmistakoble aroma"
"He has on me-" said the Ritualist
clergyman, Mr.. Austin, "the effect of a
Swiss mountain. feel as morally and
physically the better for his presence as
/ do for the air from the Jungfrau. il
is as Longfellow says;
"But breathe the air Of mountains.
And their unapproachable SUBMITS
Shall lift thee 10 the level Of themselves"
Yes" said Lady Speldhurst, "only
he's not unapproachable at all. he has
only Just that amount OF reserve which
falls short of hauteur and is the surest
pledge OF aristocratic breeding
" He's perfect gentleman, of course, D
said Mrs. Rossendale 4; "there's not a
trace of vulgarity about his composition,
nothing bourgeois. But we must do our
best to keep him select"
1--WE must, indeed" said Captain
Fosse, eve must hedge him round. To
meet by chance any Dissenter or Radical
would be real physical pain to him"
81 understand" said Lady Trump,
"that he has resolved in future not to
employ a single Liberal tradesman
That's your doing, l suppose, Captain u
The Captain smiled modest ailirma-
tive. Rowantree, I'm afraid, will be
furious" he said.
Let him be furious" said Lord
Trump, chuckling. elf be wants the
Dukes custom let him adopt the Dukes
politics.
So the conversation lapsed into poll
tics-those muddy shadows into which
we need not follow it. Fitzhubert, per
ceiving the marked attentions paid 10y
the Duke 30 his sister, came up at last t
his mother and said in his profane boylsl
way:
Il say, mamma, how long are you go
ing to allow Ophelia so entirely to mo
nopolize the attentions OF Pure C@ru
lean 2"
"Fitzhubert, you silly boy" she re
piled, 81 really must beg that you vii
cease to apply that insulting expression
TO person of the Dukes distinction.
"All right, dear mamma" said The
boy. "but who was it questioned The
Dukes accent? Who was it wanted t
put him on in Racine?" and the youth
laughed convulsively at the recollection
Then the Duke came up escortinS
Ophelia, who beamed radiance like
blushing rose. While she turned e
speak with her brother the Duke in the
politest manner assured her mother o
the great pleasure he had derived from
her conversation, and expressed the hope
that that meeting might be the first o.
many. The expression of hope was re-
ciprocated, and again before the mother
active mind flashed the thought of thos'
Objectionable relations of her husband
and of the excuses that could serve TO
not inviting them to partake OF tina
cake. of the manufacture of which Gun
ter was intended to have the honor.
1.-The most hospitable welcome tina
YOU among others have accorded TO me,
SAID the Duke, 81 shall never forget
but hope the time may come, and tina
soon, when you will allow me to repa,
NV debt TO You by your honoring Int
with visit TO Normandy; when | an
again resident upon my teTreS 1 hop
none of the family will refuse my poo
hospitality" =.
u am sure, VI. lie Due" she replied
"that we shall accept your most gene
rous invitation with the greatest possible
pleasure. But l trust that you do no
vet contemplate leaving u.s."
Ear from it." said the Duke "
shall not leave Llttleswamp till L au
obliged by circumstances. But ther
arc. You know, circumstances and time
when. as they say, no6iesSe o5hge.
"That is precisely" she replied
"what am constantly saying to m.
husband" RI
The Duke smiled and shortly afte
went and carried on the same sort OF con
versations in the same gracious term
with other ladies. This won him golde
opinions. But it was rather blow t
Mrs. Rossendale, when she referred wit
iustifable pride to Mrs. Austin 10 tn
Normandy invitation, to learn that Mrs
Austin's family, too, had been quite a
pressingly asked to those mystenou
terrcs beyond the English channel.
1t was not long before the hcspitalltlt
Mt Beresford Hall became the talk OF tn
country. Parties OF all kinds succeede
one another with startling rapidity. Pee
ple even came from distance and too
honses Mt Littleswamp for the summer
II got bruited about that the Duke wa
contemplating matrimony, and NiEcer
expressed himself as nervous on tn
score :; he said that the Duke was forevt
concluding arguments with him o
this subject with "Enfn, Vtncen
ie me range" This really kel
r 1.Atlr,,f. nxaftarnn